LS engine with a carb, pros and cons

[Dan Shook]

I am considering building a 6.0 ls engine for my Camaro project. I would like to get some opinions on the pros and cons of running a carb instead of fuel injection. Thanks

[CliffsBlueCamaro]

Some of the benefits of a carb'ed LS are *slightly* better top-end potential with a carb, and relative ease of tuning if you already know your way around a carb. There's also the looks. I personally really like the look of a carb'ed LS engine, and it keeps some of that old-school appeal.

I would be tempted to say "price" as one of the benefits of a carb - but when you combine the price of your timing control module (MSD 6LS, etc.) and an intake manifold, its really not that far away from the cost of one of the less expensive ECU/Harness combos out there. Also, you'll need an electric fuel pump either way with an LS - so if you're not already running one factor that into your build costs. I've ran the numbers several times on carb vs. EFI with and LS, and the difference always comes out to just a couple hundred bucks.

With EFI or Carb on an LS you'll still get a leak-free engine with great flowing heads, and great reliably and power.

I'm sure the guys on here who actually have a carb'ed LS can speak more to the real-world benefits. Good luck with your project!

[67rally]

Doug G is moderator over on camaros.net/teamcamaro.com and he has a carbed 6.0/Vic Jr. setup in his 68. Hit him up for some info. I think he's got an account over here, but haven't seen many/any posts from him here.

I run a 6.0/Vic Jr. with a 4 barrel throttle body, so it looks carbed. It will need a speed density tune, no MAF sensor with the Vic Jr. style intake, custom cam. Great top end, gives up a little torque down low.

[Jk918]

Allows for cheaper adjustability, cam swap you just tune the carb, no need for dyno, computer turn etc. cost per power potential is significantly cheaper with carb set up

[badazz81z28]

I really think it depends on your desires. A quality carb, intake and ignition controller is not necessarily cheap. Tuning a carb is easy but so is tuning with HP tuners if you know what you're doing.

The fuel injection is just to convienant and nice to go carb. Easy starts cold and don't have to wait for the choke to open up to drive it. Fuel injection doesn't die when you slam on the brakes and fuel injection is nicer to the engine in terms of wear.

I would never go back to a carb unless it was required for a particular race class or something.

[hifi875]

started off with vic jr and 670 avenger on my 5.3 ran very well. switched to holley terminator 4 years ago. runs just as well but as was said earlier a lot easier to start, crisper throttle response very reliable. I haven't really touched it since it was put on other than putting a holley midrise intake.

[Cuda620]

Done both. Carb is infinitely cheaper,easier and more powerful. Long cam it's more"cold natured" but still as I said before. LS3/ MSD6LS/ LSX454 intake,,,585hp thru the corvette manifolds.

[badazz81z28]

^^ squeezing a couple HP out of an engine with a carb is not "more powerful". I think you send the wrong message there. A few horsepower, he'll even 15hp would not push me to rid of Fuel injection. That how much better I feel FI is.

[andrewb70]

If you had identical intakes with a carb and EFI, and tested back to back on the same engine, I would be surprised to see +/- 5hp.

I think carbs tend to make more power than a stock EFI intake because of the nature of the single plane intakes that a lot of people use. On the flip side, a stock intake is easily worth an extra 40lb/ft over a carb intake on the low end.

Personally, I have not owned anything with a carb since 1992. One of the biggest reasons for doing a LS swap is to also get EFI.

Andrew

[Naps92]

A thread full of rich information. thanks. I really like that forum

[andrewb70]

A thread full of rich information. thanks. I really like that forum

We do pretty well around here...

Andrew

[Rod]

I have run many of our cars on both carb and EFI ... Suzys Rambler ran a edelbrock intake and Carb, then a holley intake and holley carb and now its terminator X driven... carb is a little more forgiving when you have some not so great components....
I installed the terminator X stealth system... on her 6.0 engine, and at start up it had a stumble and back fire issue.. this car had been raced for 2 years hard never an issue.. so first I back thru the fuel system... pump pressure, filters, regulator all great, stared checking the ignition system, tested each coil, perfect, replaced the 2 month old MSD plug wires and the stumble was gone, as a carb car it never had a stumble or back fire, as an EFI car it didn't like what was already working ... and we run her car pretty hard

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[Pedigry]

Carbs are great because there is no majic to them. I have been running my hotrod for 6 months on a bad tune. I know it's my fault but a good tune is $500 plus and I always seem to spend money on other things like leaky rear main seals, etc. Anywho, my car stumbles off the line, goes fat, stumbles, then cleans up. If there was a carb on my motor, I would have fixed it by now. The ability to plug in a laptop, start moving fuel around, save it, back it up, upload it, etc is daunting. I'm sure that once you learn it, like anything else, it's not scary anymore. But I keep having this vision of me hitting the wrong key and watching my whole map dissapear. lol. So carbs are easy peazy in that respect. But the benefits of fuel injection, when tuned properly, far outweigh the old carb.

[jlcustomz]

Old thread here. but another benefit of efi is being able to get away with a much lighter flywheel and low speed engine near lugging than you could ever get away with not having efi

[badazz81z28]

I can’t believe this is even a discussion. EFI is better, that’s it. You can try to defend carbs, but anyone’s shortcoming on working on the systems or tuning, is on them, not the system. A computer is capable of monitor, control and adjusting. I had a carb for years too and I get it, some people like the analog world, but technology is what it is….better and better and better.